To: Marissa CUSD 40 Family
From: Jeff Strieker, Superintendent
Re: TikTok Threat Message
Good Afternoon, Marissa CUSD Family,
This morning, I shared a message via this system's e-mail messaging system. I considered sending an All Call out, but determined it would potentially create panic at a time that the Police and I deemed the concern not to be elevated to this level of fear. This message is a follow-up with some additional information.
1) I am sharing the message via All Call and E-Mail this afternoon. For those of you who did not receive the email this morning, one of three things has happened: a) The email address shared with the district was not submitted with proper spelling; b) The email sent from the ALL CALL system was received by your SPAM folder and resides there; or c) You have not shared an email address with the district.
2) Some parents, upon learning the information today, chose not to send their child to school. Some, who learned after their child had reached school, chose to come get them and take them home. There is no concern with that approach. However, students attending the Jr. Sr. High School where the threat of violence by the TikTok was directed, were greeted by me and Officer Sheridan, hopefully as a measure of understanding that they could feel safe.
3) The information learned about the situation is this: We believe the account from which the TikTok threat arrived, "@gultysx778" is a live account- it has ZERO followers and is following FIFTEEN (15) total individuals. When looking at the accounts that individual follows, most have hundreds to thousands of followers, and may be following zero to just a few. I signed up for an account today to research. You, as a parent, may consider doing the same. In the event you seek out the account previously mentioned and are able to make a determination of the origin of the account, reporting it to District Administration or directly to the Marissa Police would be appreciated.
4) We believe our schools are safe places to learn and work. The incident in Nashville, TN, followed by the cowardice act of attempting to instill fear into the lives of others will not deter MCUSD #40 from continuing our mission to educate young lives, and we hope that you continue to trust us to do so. In the meantime, feel free to support our efforts by engaging in the beast that is TikTok, and maybe provide a check of your child's accounts- yes, they likely have more than one.
Sincerely, Jeff Strieker, Superintendent